Waterlogged
by whiteraven1606
Summary: John gets help retrieving Ronon from an ocean in the form of Steve McGarrett.


John threw down his gloves as McKay pulled up the planet's map. "How long until we can get back there?"

McKay snapped a Zelenka and looked up from his rapid typing. "As soon as I can get the Jumpers out of lockdown. It's a space gate. He can't go anywhere."

John narrowed his eyes at McKay. "Don't say things like that, Rodney."

With a grimace, McKay waved a hand. "You know what I mean." He went back to typing.

John frowned at the map until Lorne appeared at his elbow. "What?"

"That SEAL you requested has came through the Gate, sir."

John pointed at McKay. "As fast as you can, Rodney."

McKay nodded without replying as he jabbed at his laptop's keyboard.

John turned and headed into the Gate room. McGarrett stood there, loose and easy, with a shorter man staring around them. "Hey, McGarrett."

Steve turned his head and smiled at John. "Sheppard. How are you?" He wrapped John into a one arm hug that John drew out of as quickly as he felt he could.

"Okay. Busy." He looked at the short man next to Steve turning on his heel.

Steve grinned and clapped the man on the shoulder. "This is Danny. He insisted I needed backup."

John shook hands. "Colonel John Sheppard." He cocked his head. "You aren't military."

Danny shrugged. "Nah. I'm a cop." He jerked a thumb at Steve. "Last time I let him go on a military thing by himself he nearly died."

John nodded. "He's a pain like that." He ushered them down the hallway. "I know we said it was a simple training operation, but then we've had a problem with the Jumpers." He glanced at Steve. "I hope you don't mind helping with a S and R."

Steve grinned. "No problem." He bumped his shoulder against Danny's. "We'd be glad to help."

Danny rolled his eyes. "That depends on how likely it is that we'll crash in the middle of another galaxy."

John lead them into the meeting room where McKay was still fussing with his laptop.

* * *

Ronon hoisted himself up onto the rock ledge. He pressed himself back into the rock face so he could look up at the sky. He repositioned his legs and tried to relax. This planet wasn't a target for Wraith. It wasn't important in any way for Genii. All Ronon had to do was wait for Sheppard.

He dug through his wet backpack until he got to the waterproof bag in the bottom. Ronon pulled it out, dried off his hands, and carefully opened it up. Nestled inside was the knitting he was working on for John. Socks. It was something soldiers always needed more of and John had worn the last pair Ronon had made him into rags.

Ronon kept one eye on the sky as he worked on the socks.

* * *

Teyla smiled at John's friend as they sat in the back of the Jumper waiting for McKay to convince the City systems to let them launch. "Thank you for being willing to help search for Ronon."

Steve tucked his bag back under the bench with his heel. "It isn't a problem, ma'am."

John spun his chair around towards them. "Normally we can just track life signs, but this planet has a strong enough electric field to mess with everything we take there."

McKay hit the console with his fist. "Unlock!"

John turned towards him. "That doesn't actually help, Rodney."

"You think at it then."

John raised his eyebrows. "I have."

Steve exchanged looks with Danny as McKay huffed and slid down to the floor, pulling the panel on the Jumper's console.

"Think harder."

John leaned over to look at what McKay was rewiring. "Why can't you just reset the lockdown?"

* * *

Ronon knitted until his fingers started to stiffen. He carefully repacked the knitting and pulled out one of the sealed meals-in-a-pouch. Ronon dipped the little heat bag into the water to get it started and tucked in the meat pouch into the heat bag.

He watched it steam as he ate from the fruit pouch. Ronon scanned the darkening sky. He had nothing to burn. There was nowhere to climb and then ocean below him was sinking with the tide.

Once the meat pouch was hot, Ronon pulled it out and dumped the water from the heat bag. He opened the meat pouch and wrinkled his nose at the sharp herb smell of the meat and noodles inside.

Ronon packed the waste into the spent heat bag and back into the backside of his bag. He flexed his feet to relieve the tingling and readjusted how he was braced so he'd be able to doze. Ronon looked up into the twilight.

* * *

Steve held onto the bench with both hands as John rolled them out of orbit into the atmosphere of the planet they'd lost their teammate on. Beside him, Danny was holding himself rigid and breathing carefully through his nose. "Awesome isn't it?"

Danny gave him that hairy eyeball expression Steve liked to provoke. "Are all military people as crazy as you two?"

He and John said 'no' right as McKay said 'yes.' Steve grinned as that started an argument between John and McKay as they descended.

* * *

Ronon cursed as the tide threatened to sweep him off his ledge. He scrabbled at the rock face trying to find a place to get himself up higher. He lost his footing and grabbed at the straps of his pack as he fell into the water.

* * *

They skimmed low above the water as John took them along the line the Jumper said the current went. Everyone was watching the ocean, Steve behind Teyla and Danny where they stood behind John and McKay.

The water was choppy and Steve could see a rock cliff in the distance. The Jumper made a graceful arc toward the rocks as they kept searching.

* * *

Ronon treaded water slowly. The current was pulling him along the cliff, but there were no places to grab hold that didn't crumble under his hands. At least his pack wasn't pulling him down. Ronon saw an opening coming up in the face of the cliff and decided to try the cave.

* * *

John hovered the Jumper in front of the cliff. "How likely is it he got battered against it?"

Steve studied how the water was lapping against the rock. "Unless it was a lot rougher, I think he'd be able to work his way along it." He pointed off to their right. "That way."

John turned the Jumper and followed the face of the cliff. He kept them moving until they came to a cave opening. "Shit."

Steve looked it over. "No life sign signals, right?"

McKay jabbed at the console. "Nothing I do helps with the life signs detectors, so no."

Steve clapped John on the shoulder. "I'll have to go check it. He could have gotten washed into it."

John eased them closer to the water. "Alright. Be careful."

* * *

Steve plunged into the water and smoothly swam towards the cave mouth. He snorted as the difference in the smell of the water made itself known. The cave was smooth clear to the ceiling which meant he needed out before the tide changed.

He swam along, the light on his head bouncing around the pale walls. Then he heard a weak splash. "Ronon?"

There was scrap of movement and then a burst of red light nearly hit him as Steve pushed himself to the side.

"Hey! Sheppard didn't ask me to help search for his teammate just for me to get shot."

Up on the wall, Steve could barely see a bedraggled man clinging by his toes and one hand, a weapon trained on Steve.

"Who are you?"

Steve grinned at him and raised his hand to wave a little. "Hey there. I'm Steve. I'm a SEAL with the US Navy from Earth. Sheppard says hi and you missed dinner."

Ronon grunted and grimaced as he lower the weapon slightly. "Had a pouch meal."

Steve let himself sink the the water to his ears and then pushed himself back up. "You mean a MRE?" He cocked his head. "Are you testing me to see if I'm really here because of Sheppard?"

Ronon shrugged the shoulder he wasn't bracing into the rock. "Might be Genii."

Steve shook the water out of his eyes. "Nope. Don't know that one. How about I tell you stupid lines from Disney movies? Danny's little girl is on a Tangled kick right now. The horse says the day."

Ronon lifted his chin. "What's the horse's name?"

"They call him Max. Seriously a horse fighting with a frying pan, how absurd can you get?"

Ronon let himself drop into the water. "McKay's niece likes it."

Steve smiled. "Still absurd."

* * *

John let McKay do the flying back while he checked over Ronon. "You okay, buddy?"

Ronon smacked at him with a shivering hand. "You asked that already." He allowed Teyla to wrap his dreads in a towel.

Across the Jumper Danny was handing Steve another towel. "Seriously? You got him to trust you by referencing _Tangled_?"

Steve shrugged as he rubbed down his head. "It worked." He lifted his chin towards John. "See?"

Danny rolled his eyes and dropped a towel over Steve's head. "Yeah, I saw."

* * *

Ronon smiled as John appeared at his door not ten minutes after Ronon had arrived from being released from medical. "Hey." He stepped back and let John in.

"I'm sorry about..." John flicked his fingers in a way Ronon took to mean the whole of the last few days.

"Nothing to be sorry for. I heard you and McKay worrying about the Jumper before it turned up and tried to drop us all in the water." Ronon sat down so John would feel like he could sit.

John settled close to Ronon's side. "Still. If it hadn't gotten stuck on the auto-home routine I'd have come back right away."

Ronon settled his hand on the back of John's neck. "I know that."

With a nod, John let himself relax. "Water operations are something SEALs like Steve are very good at." He leaned into Ronon's hand on his skin. "I knew I'd need help figuring out the ocean so we'd find you. Two days is a long time to be in the water."

Ronon rubbed his fingertips against John's skin. "Wrinkles everywhere. McKay called me a prune. I don't know what that is."

"Type of fruit. When they dry them they wrinkle a lot."

Ronon nodded. "I knew you'd find me."

John turned and tucked his forehead against Ronon's collarbone and just breathed. "You'd been without fresh water for the whole time."

"I'm fine." Ronon eased John closer and wrapped his arm around John's shoulders. "I worked on my knitting until a tide washed me off my ledge."

John snorted. "Knitting?" He pulled back and touched his fingertips to Ronon's neck tattoo. "What were you knitting?"

"Socks for you."

John smiled. "Yeah?" He shifted and pulled his boots off. "That's cool." He slumped against Ronon and closed his eyes. "Sleep?"

Ronon eased them down and let John pull the covers over them even though Ronon had warmed back up in medical with the lukewarm water they'd made him drink. "Yes, love, we'll sleep."

John hummed against his skin and tightened his arms around Ronon for a moment before dropping off.

* * *

Steve stared out the portal as they counted down the time on the gate-bridge space station so they wouldn't take a virus back with them to Earth. "Wow."

Danny went up on his tip toes to see what Steve was looking at. "Wow is right. Think they'll object if I take a picture?"

Steve smacked Danny lightly on his arm. "Classified, remember?"

"Yeah, like that General guy that came to get you cared. He practically said take Danny with you."

Steve smiled and laid down on the low bunk. "He probably figured you'd just try to follow me. Or nag him until I got back."

"I don't nag. When do I nag?" Danny settled on the other bunk. "Remind me to get a present for Gracie while we're in Colorado."

Steve smiled as he closed his eyes. "Sure thing, Danno."


End file.
